28 replies to this topic

[Cyborne Elemental]

Is anyone else questioning this feature with Clan mechs?

The specular levels (shiny/reflective map) seems like its way too high.

I get that Clanmechs are all fresh out of the factory and supposed to look all new and sexy to appeal to the people looking to buy them.

But isn't all that shiny glowing a little bit much?

Not that stealth is a huge part of gameplay, even while under ECM its hard to not be noticed in any mech.

But there are certain cases where shutting down and letting the enemy walk right past you is possible.

Maps like Forrest Colony, I have many times been too slow to catch up to the Nascar racer teamates, and just parked my woodland camo Atlas or Jager next to some trees and shutdown, and the enemy literally walks within 40 meters of me and never even notices.

Or on Terra Therma, I had my raven setup with a charcoal grey camo pattern, and shutdown and had 6 guys almost step on me and walk right by..

With these clan mechs, you can see them coming a mile away, glinting and glowing on any angle the light hits, and I'd never expect myself to get away with that in any of them.

Just more or less curious if anyone else really cares about something so trivial.

When I think of Warmachines and mechwarrior in general, I think of wartorn vehicles that are big and get bumped around just in transporting them to a combat drop.

Or guardian defense units that have been patrolling a city or facility getting used.

These are War machines, out there on the field getting beat up, reused over and over, salvaged and put back into action.

The clanmechs don't even have a speck of dust on them.
Its like some Ferrari or Bugatti that you would have parked that you wax and polish up every week while it sits inside your climate controlled garage.

These clanmechs are beautiful in their own right and extremely well modeled and textured, don't get me wrong.

They just don't look like warmachines that you would expect from the Mechwarrior universe with all the eyecandy.

Edited by Mister D, 27 September 2014 - 02:19 PM.

[aniviron]

Sure. Whenever something is weird, just handwave it away with the lore. Let me demonstrate:

"Oh, but that makes sense because the clans fought with honor and wouldn't do something like shut down to avoid detection, they would fight it out even if they were almost dead."

See, doesn't that sound nice? Nevermind that there are plenty of counterexamples in the lore, now you have a justification.

[Heiggwinie Halberstadt]

I find it more annoying that any mech that is more than 100 meters from you comes in on your screen completely black which negates any reason for having camo in the first place. Why have your mech painted white on a snow map or tan on a desert map when you stick out like a sore thumb because they only see you as a black painted mech? This black look is only useful on a night map.

[MauttyKoray]

Heiggwinie Halberstadt, on 27 September 2014 - 12:22 AM, said:

I find it more annoying that any mech that is more than 100 meters from you comes in on your screen completely black which negates any reason for having camo in the first place. Why have your mech painted white on a snow map or tan on a desert map when you stick out like a sore thumb because they only see you as a black painted mech? This black look is only useful on a night map.

I don't have that issue... might want to check your hardware and drivers.

[Ultimax]

I love how they look and I wouldn't change it for anything.

[Mazerius]

I dont remember where it was mentioned but the clan mechs and several of the newer IS mechs are using higher res textures than the old mechs resulting in a bit more shine and a cleaner look. Not sure which I prefer to be honest, they both have their charm

Have a look at the Arrow if you want to see a really shiny mech

Edited by Mazerius, 27 September 2014 - 12:55 AM.

[Cyborne Elemental]

I guess I should have worded that better about shutting down and hiding...

I'm just saying, you put a nice camo on a raven, or commando, with their ECM and they disappear, hiding in plain sight.

Kitfox you'll be seeing glints of sunshine reflecting off it and its a dead giveaway, same goes for all the clanmechs.

[Gamuray]

They are newer, yes, and also meant to be intimidating, not just because of their firepower. You won't be intimidated by something you can't see... At least not until it shows up on radar. A direwolf is intimidating any way that you can "see" it..

Technical reason.. If you haven't noticed, IS mechs have more surface area to be covered in camo ('cept Primes). The non-painted areas are shiny metallic grey. ..Maybe part of the problem. Though I would agree that even the paint shines more.

The mech camo's being gone farther away is definitely graphical settings. I have the same issue as I use minimum settings (and still have framerate issues, but I still make top score when in one of my good builds with a decent team). Just helps to decrease the stuff that needs rendered.


edit: word choice

Edited by Gamuray, 27 September 2014 - 06:26 AM.

[Tennex]

agreed

[TELEFORCE]

I think they 'mechs looking shiney is an aesthetic decision by the developers. "Hey, look at that shiney 'mech I have in the hangar! Isn't is pretty?"

It doesn't matter whether or not the vehicle is new. In real life, new military vehicles with their first paint job are painted flat colors, since anything creating a reflection (especially at night) could get you killed. As for the headlights, they cover them up (in WWII they covered headlights with canvas bags).

[KuroNyra]

We should be able to apply some dirt on our mech...

[Superslicks]

Just give them weathered skins, camo, I would pay for that.!
I also hate the new shinny look of the clans.

[Destructicus]

the thing is most clan mechs aren't 200-300 years old
IS runs with dated hardware.
The thing that get's me is the shininess of the interior, I have to turn my cockpit light otherwise it just keeps bugging me

[Hillslam]

They're shiny because clan mechs are driven by flamboyant pooftas

[Scratx]

We're talking about the people who have no problems in using Laser Heat Sinks, which work by converting heat into light... which lights them up like a christmas tree in night ops.

Somehow I don't think they give two shits about camouflage.

[TELEFORCE]

Scratx, on 27 September 2014 - 02:32 PM, said:

We're talking about the people who have no problems in using Laser Heat Sinks, which work by converting heat into light... which lights them up like a christmas tree in night ops.

Somehow I don't think they give two shits about camouflage.

First of all, camouflage isn't designed to blend you into terrain; It's designed to conceal the profile of soldiers or vehicles at range that way an observer can't tell what types they are exactly. If you want to go for total concealment, hide somewhere, like at the bottom of a river or in a cave, or get a cloaking device or vehicle-scale mimetic armor

Second, though the Clans did develop laser heatsinks, which make any 'mech mounting them a light show at night to shoot at, they haven't seen widespread use other than as a demonstrator on some Night Gyr heavy omni chassis.

Speaking of Clan 'mechs, the youngest Clan 'mech in the game (and of any 'mech in-game right now, really), is the Dire Wolf, which first began production in 3010 by Clan Smoke Jaguar.

[Mavairo]

Mister D, on 26 September 2014 - 11:52 PM, said:

The clanmechs don't even have a speck of dust on them.
Its like some Ferrari or Bugatti that you would have parked that you wax and polish up every week while it sits inside your climate controlled garage.

These clanmechs are beautiful in their own right and extremely well modeled and textured, don't get me wrong.

They just don't look like warmachines that you would expect from the Mechwarrior universe with all the eyecandy.

That is exactly what clan mechs are supposed to be. They are the weapons of proud warriors, gleaned and shined to perfection. Not the table scraps from yesteryear built and rebuilt a million times over.

A Warrior (as opposed to a Soldier) takes pride in things like Appearance and individual glory. That is the clanner mentality to a T.

Stealth? Pft. Real Men ™ do not need Stealth to win battles. Such cowardly tactics are the hallmark of those with no honor! Where is the emblazoned insignias and shining paint. Exactly where it needs to be on the Clan Mechs.

Clan Mechs are also fully restored to the best of their techs ability, much as a Squire tends to a Knight's Armor.. Not simply for appearance but because it is a precious limited resource that needs to be functioning at Top Ability in order to maximise the chance of victory. Because the Numbers aren't there to make up for any mechanical defects.

Now.... I prefer the matte finish of the IS mechs. Why? I'm an IS player. And the mechs reflect this in the constantly being repaired and rearmed as quick and cheaply as possible. If something breaks on the battlefield? Tough, someone will send new parts, or rebuilt parts eventually.

That's the difference.

[Cyborne Elemental]

Ha, you guys are some serious Nerds when it comes to this Lore stuff.

Gameplay & common sense > Lore and fantasy land.

This is why the IS ultimately defeats you.
But as you wish, keep right on polishing.

[Brody319]

Mister D, on 27 September 2014 - 07:35 PM, said:

Ha, you guys are some serious Nerds when it comes to this Lore stuff. Gameplay & common sense > Lore and fantasy land. This is why the IS ultimately defeats you. But as you wish, keep right on polishing.

Logically speaking, A shinier mech means that light based weapons (lasers) would do less damage because more photons are being bounced away with no force rather than heating the target. IS mechs are dirty, and I'd say us clanners brought plenty of lasers. So logically speaking, your mechs should end up with a lot more burns than ours.

[Cyborne Elemental]

Looks like I found a soft spot, better keep pushing on it.